The three lizards have been our family's emblem since Montrose was created in 1701. They take you on a balade (walk) through the South of France, to discover our best terroirs and expertise. La Balade is a wine with character, rich but without heaviness.
-- Bernard and Oliver Coste - Vigneons
VINTAGE : 2016
APPELLATION : IGP Côtes de Thongue
SOILS : calcareous-clay, volcanic and siliceous-clay gravel
GRAPES : 60% syrah, 40% cabernet sauvignon
ALCOHOL: 14%
WINEMAKING : each terroir and grape is vinified separately. Grapes are destemmed. Long maceration (4-5 weeks) during which we punch down the cap frequently and maintain temperature below 30°C (86°F). Wines are blended at the end of winter and then aged in stainless steel tanks for 12 months. Bottling in early Spring.
TASTING NOTES : deep red color. Complex nose of red fruits, blueberry, blackcurrant, thyme. Ample mouth with good balance and elegant tannins.
SERVING : Enjoy it on its own or with red meat, stews, cheeses.
2020 Domaine Montrose Salamandre
Each inch of this wine gleams with polish and fervent care. Like the walnut-and-red-leather interior of a classic Jaguar S-type. Built to race, built for power.
-- Jancis Robinson
VINTAGE: 2020
APPELLATION: IGP Côtes de Thongue
SOILS: calcareous-clay and siliceous-clay gravel
GRAPES: 60% cabernet sauvignon, 40% syrah
ALCOHOL: 14%
WINEMAKING: each terroir is vinified separately. Long maceration (four to five weeks) with the traditional punching down the cap method. All along the fermentation process, temperature is maintained below 30°C (86°F). Wines are blended at the end of winter and then aged in French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling.
TASTING NOTES: deep red color with purple glints. Complex nose of red fruits, blueberry, blackcurrant, thyme, mint. A rich wine with elegant tannins and a lingering aftertaste. Drink within five to seven years.
ACCOLADES: Vintage 2020 is not rated yet. Salamandre is made from the top picks of crops at Domaine Montrose. 2019 Salamandre has received a 90/100 rating by Decanter 2022.
SERVING: Enjoy it with prime rib, scrambled eggs with black truffle, cheeses
2019 Château des Adouzes le Tigre
Château des Adouzes is situated in the medieval village of Roguessels in the heart of AOP Faugères. The appellation is exclusively composed of schists, one of the rarest and most prized terroirs in the world. The 42 Ha (100 acre) vineyard has primarily more than 90-year-old Grenache noir and Carignan vines. They thrive beautifully on this excellent schist terroir. The tiger symbolizes the power and balance of our wines. Some even speak of a sighting in the vineyard...!
--Oliver Coste - Vignerons
VINTAGE: 2019
APPELLATION: AOP Faugères
TERROIR: Schist hillsides at 200-400m (650-1300ft) altitude
GRAPES: 35% carignan, 35% grenache noir, 30% syrah
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
WINEMAKING: Manual harvest at optimal maturity. Carignan is vinified with whole-cluster carbonic maceration in order to extract intense aromas and flavors.Syrah and grenache are vinified traditionally with destemming and 20-30 days of vatting. The wines are aged in tanks for 12 months. Blending and bottling at the château.
TASTING NOTES: Intense ruby red color. Cassis and raspberry on the nose with hints of pepper and spice. Good structure yet balanced on the palate thanks to the freshness of the schist soil.
ACCOLADES: 90 pts Robert Parker, 17 Jancis Robinson, GOLD Concours International de Lyon (International wine, beer, spirit competition), GOLD Concours Mondial des FEMINALISE (International wine competition). 2019 Chateau des Adouzes le Tigre has achieved a 90/100 rating by Decanter 2022.
SERVICE: Drink within 3 years with roasted meats, barbecue or aged cheeses.
Faugères is a small appellation very well-regarded for its red wines. It’s the only Languedoc appellation with a homogenous terroir throughout. Here, schist is king. This very infertile rock drains water, making roots go very deep into the soil to find it, down to fractures in the bedrock. This unique features makes the vines very resistant to drought. Schist also absorbs and stores heat during the day, slowly releasing it back at night, which promotes healthy grape ripening.
HVE3 CERTIFICATION AND CARBON NEUTRAL: Château des Adouzes and Domaine Montrose are both certified HVE 3, "Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3", the highest level of France's High Environmental Value Certification. It's a result of the vineyards' efforts towards virtuous agriculture: planting 2000 trees to preserve biodiversity, planting vineyard ground cover, mechanical soil work, pheromone dispensers, and etc. To limit the impact on the planet, the vineyards have reduced our CO2 emissions to a minimum. The vineyards also offset the CO2 emission by financing in ecological initiatives.
